This Earth Day, And Everyday, Cities Are Moving Forward, Together

This Earth Day, nations will descend upon the UN Headquarters in New York City to sign the Paris Agreement, making this historic commitment to fight climate change a reality. While ratifying the agreement shows a global, concerted effort to keep climate action on track, in order to truly make a difference, countries will need support from their local governments. Curbing the impacts of climate change will take a joint effort between cities, and local leaders, working in conjunction with national governments, to ensure the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Cities are driving the response to climate change around the world by taking bold and immediate steps to implement the Agreement. Whether it’s installing new bike lanes, transitioning to energy efficient lighting, or designing green urban spaces, mayors from around the world are moving forward with climate initiatives in their cities.

In the city of Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Jorge Elorza celebrated Earth Day and the signing the of the Agreement by issuing an Executive Order on Climate Action declaring Providence’s intent to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. That’s because the time to act is now. In the U.S., there is an increasing groundswell of community voices, including UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael Bloomberg, who are demanding action — Providence joins 123 other U.S. cities, and more than 485 global cities, committed to the Compact of Mayors pledging and acting to reach ambitious climate goals.

Since 1930, local sea levels near and around Providence have risen about 10 inches, and every 33 years, annual temperatures in the city increase by 1 degree Fahrenheit. In order to address these impacts of climate change and align with its commitment to the Compact of Mayors, Providence will implement the following strategies:

1) Conduct an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions meeting the standards of the Compact of Mayors

2) Track and disclose city carbon emissions

3) Set targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions

4) Implement a climate action plan that will integrate climate mitigation and resilience efforts in city and neighborhood planning

These steps seek to address what local leaders in Providence already know: climate change is affecting nearly every aspect of daily life. That is why Mayor Elorza plans to address the impacts of climate change in all city planning, design and decision-making as well as mitigate the effects on a greater scale by working alongside surrounding cities.

It was last December in Paris that local leaders showed how influential they could be when they stand together. And the world noticed.

This week, as we celebrate Earth Day, mayors are again showing their collective input to fighting climate change. In the Huffington Post, Mayor Eduardo Paes of Rio de Janeiro, Mayor Park Won-Soon of Seoul, and Mayor Khalifa Sall of Dakar shared how cities have long been working to implement the Paris Agreement from the ground up. To show their commitment and support for national leaders on this day, mayors are engaging with the historic signing by sharing photos of their climate efforts through their social media channels.

So on this Earth Day, as cities join their national leaders to support and strengthen climate action, let’s celebrate the Paris Agreement, and moving forward in this fight against climate change together.

The op-ed by Mayors Eduardo Paes of Rio de Janeiro, Park Won-Soon of Seoul, and Khalifa Sall of Dakar can also be found in O Globo and The Paper.

Track the full Earth Day campaign on our Storify.

Follow @CompactofMayors on Twitter and Facebook for more stories on city climate action.